A first time candidate for public office, Ari Bessendorf believes that local government can have an impact on the quality of life in Los Angeles. Ari has a commitment to preserve the legacy of Grace E. Simons and the diverse character of the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council district. With the district undergoing many transformative changes, Ari will ensure all voices are heard to help create a broader sense of community and common purpose. That is why Ari is running for President of the neighborhood council in tomorrow’s Oct. 6 election.

Ari has been a resident of Echo Park for six years and is a member of the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park (CCSEP) and the Echo Park Improvement Association. He first became involved with these local community groups in response to the Barlow Hospital Project, creating the website SaveElysianPark.org, collecting over 1,200 signatures in opposition to the project, and contributing to the CCSEP’s response to the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report.

Ari at neighborhood clean up

Originally from Boston, Ari is an attorney, focusing his practice on the development of renewable energy projects across California and the United States. He has broad experience working with school districts and municipalities to implement solar projects to save money and decrease carbon emissions. The foundations of Ari’s legal practice are transparency, co-operation, and ethical representation, and he will bring those qualities to the position of Neighborhood Council President. Ari’s bachelor’s degree is in music, and he believes strongly in the arts as an engine for community involvement and economic growth.